Thinking of heading over to Vancouver Island for a few days and saw Telegraph Cove was one of the top spots for whale watching. Has anyone done the drive from Nanaimo to Telegraph Cove and was it worth the 4 hour drive? Anything else to see along the way?
My plan is to ferry into Nanaimo, go up to Telegraph Cove, then back down to Nanaimo, across to Tofino and then Victoria before heading back home.

There are frequent Whale Watching tours plus an excellent Whale Interpretive Centre.. Telegraph Cove itself is interesting with lots of history. A restaurant etc also available. As you approach Telegraph Cove check out the view point over looking Beaver Cove log sort. Huge logging equipment sorting etc. North Island also has many other attractions including some lovely beaches and trails.

Some interesting stops: Rathtrevor Beach Park, Qualicum Beach, Elk Falls Park. Not much between Campbell River and Telegraph Cove. Alert Bay near Telegraph Cove is definitely worth a visit.

3 weeks ago and worth it! I was actually on a Grizzly bear tour and within 10 minutes on the water we saw Humpbacks. On the way back, a pod of Orcas. The area is beautiful and so is the drive, especially if you have time for the scenic route by the ocean. If staying right there things are a bit on the expensive side, but I would go again! Actually I am flirting with a kayaking overnight trip there, but need to save some $ for that!

Which company did you use? Heading there next week

Carlee http://tiderip.com
TIDERIP.COM
Tiderip Grizzly Bear Tours – Grizzly Bear tours in Knight Inlet, BC

Discovery Pier and Elk Falls Suspension Bridge in Campbell River. Ripple Rock trail.

If you're planning to go this summer, book your accommodations in advance. Some of the places (Tofino) you've listed don't have many (if any) last minute vacancies.

This.

Make sure you make a reservation for the ferry.

The drive north of Campbell River is awesome. Lot's to see in Port McNeill and you can take a car ferry to Cormorant Island and Alert Bay and Sointula on Malcolm Island. Our favorite Port M restaurant is Bobanni's.... it's been awhile so I'm hoping it's still there. We weren't much impressed with Port Hardy and would likely only go as far as Port M on our next trip. Have fun.

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Coombs with the goats on the roof. And the old growth forest. There is so much to see not to be missed if you can help it.

Campbell River Whale Watching
There also an orca in Comox harbour right now if your coming this way soon stop in and have a look

Yes and yes

Telegraph Cover is very quirky, there's a whaling museum there and the boardwalks are cute but other than that not much. Lots of people go for the grizzly bear viewing at Knights Inlet but that gets booked up way in advance. I'm not sure that you can actually see whales at rubbing beach (I'm assuming not as it's protected). Stubbs is the operator out of Telegraph Cove. You can also do lots of trips out of Campbell River which is easier to get to, unless you really want to go further up!

Thanks for the suggestion! This was what I was trying to find out - if I can get the same thing without having to drive as far. I’m all for making the trek if it’s worth it but if I’m on a limited schedule, I’d like to save time if I can unless there’s something particularly unique there.

I’m from Port Alice, you couldn’t pick a more beautiful place to explore. Google Telegraph Cove, there is a ton of whale watching companies, if you have a 4x4 and want to check out some hidden gems google Side Bay. Port Alice is 40 mins from Telegraph Cove and has a to offer, Victoria Lake, Alice Lake, great ocean fishing and outdoor activities. Feel free to PM me and I can help set you up with the right people.

Definitely.

Turn off at Sayward and keep going to the end of that road and you are in Kelsey Bay which is a gem. Port Alice is beautiful and Coal Harbour delightful

I highly recommend
Ocean EcoVentures Whale Watching - Cowichan Bay as an alternative if needed to Telegraph cove or Campbell river companies on your way back to Victoria
They are incredible!

I should say as well though that a few days is not enough for all of the spots you’ve mentioned! I would pick your top one or two and do that. You’ll spend a lot of time driving otherwise!

Agreed. I had originally planned driving up to Telegraph Cove, do the tour and head right back. I don’t think I would have spent more than 2D/1N there. Certainly not enough time to fully explore it at least get a taste of the area and come back if I really like it.

Adding Tofino to this trip is too much. No accommodation available in Tofino without a reservation anyway. Stop in at Miracle beach Provincial park.

I’m beginning to think that it might be out of the question too. If I can’t find a place to stay, I might strike it off the list.

Yah....you have to get to tofino off the #4 which is in line with qualicum beach, before nanaimo heading south...you just turn r on the #4 off the main highway.....about 2.5 hrs to tofino from there

Thanks! I’m searching airbnb’s as it looks like there’s more availability there. If it doesn’t pan out Tofino might be off the list.

Shawn its tough at last minute to stay but you can always make it a day drive...rathtrevor beach at parksville or lake cowichan are easier options

If you go to telegraph, you must go to atluck and artlish.

just did this last weekend! everything is so quiet and peaceful north of campbell river. was lucky on a half day kayak tour to see some orcas, though i think the chances of seeing them would be better if you do one of the boat tours for a full day. +1 for sayward, the bay is particularly beautiful as its flanked by mount h'kusam to the east. from what i hear you can also see orcas around vic, but it can get crowded - you go to telegraph cove for the experience.

Judith

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We went to Richmond and saw orcas, hump back whales breaching...closer and cheaper.

Where in Richmond do you go to the ocean to see whales?

Marianne Vf, I live in Coquitlam & would love to take my son to Richmond, where aprox. can you see some whales....if any are swimming in the area?

Telegraph cove is a sweet place for kayaking, whale and grizzly watching. Quiet, cool, pretty. But if you are going back to tofino and Victoria, I think it's too much driving and too many stops for a few days.

Do your whale watching in tofino and save yourselves 8 hours in the car.

Whale Watching out of Tofino is great and some include stops at the Hot Springs

Does Telegraph Cove offer anything that Tofino doesn't? I guess that's my dilemma. From what I've read so far, it's less crowded, and there's other wildlife to see by going up to Telegraph Cove. Still working with the itinerary to figure out what the best distribution is.

Shawn I’ve done tours in both. As I mentioned before, in Telegraph Cove it was a bear tour, not a whale tour. Waters were less rough than in Tofino but I got sights in both places.

Telegraph cove is amazing. I have done the whale watching there with Stubbs. Plan to overnight in the area. Cluxewe resort has cabins and is an RV/tent park.

Absolutely, worth it, dude!

please leave the whales alone. All the boat harrassment is killing them off. The local orca population is dying out, and still people constantly harrass them with whale watching tours... it is too sad to bear.

Hi - this is the route I've sent clients on for some time now and it flows well and has plenty of great highlights! From Telegraph Cove - you don't need to go all the way back to Nanaimo before turning west towards Tofino - You'll find this turnoff around Parksville. You will need at least 5 days to get the most out of this trip - anything less than that and I would cut out the Victoria portion and go back to mainland via Nanaimo.

PS - Stubbs very highly recommended!

If you are able to send me a PM with how much time you have I can give you some itinerary tips.

Spectacular. Should be n everyone's bucket list.

Just remember that whales are wild they come and go as they please! They don’t turn up at a certain time, and they don’t do a show. There is lots of whale watching in Victoria, it is much closer then telegraph bay.

I'm sure there's whale watching all around the Island. I'm just looking to see if anyone who has been to Telegraph Bay could give their experiences to see whether it was worth the extra drive. It seems Telegraph Bay offers a bit more wildlife (dolphins, other whale species, bears, etc) that tours on the south side might not have. I think I'm convinced enough to make the few hours extra time investment to head up north and check it out.

I have been Telegraph Cove by boat and not driving. The place itself is just a harbor. Go on Google map, you may have a satellite view of the place and its surrounding. Right now, there is a Orca hanging around in Comox harbor, it was on the news.

Stayed at telegraph cove many years ago..loved it. We stayed at the Telegraph Cove Resort right on the boardwalk, rustic, authentic accommodation but highly recommend staying right in the Cove. Fantastic Whale Interpretation Centre at the end of the dock. kayaks available to rent, fishing charters right there too. Took an excellent boat tour organized through the interpretation centre so very respectful of the whales and extremely informative. Ended up watching a pod of 10 whales swim by just 20 feet from the shore at the end of the day. Worth the treck if you want to see whales in a pretty amazing part of nature...

Well worth the time to go

Gorgeous & so unique. Best & most professional whale watching in BC

I've made many trips from Parksville or Nanaimo to Uculet and Tofino, and have taken out-of-province people to whale watch in Tofino. Lots of resorts/guest houses along the road between Uk and Tofino, and lots of beaches besides Long Beach.

But no Orcas. They're on the inside passage.

Worth it! So so so beautiful and way less boats than what you see in the south island. The drive through the mountains on the way is beautiful as well. I've done whale watching at telegraph Cove many times and I still can't get over how breathtaking it is. DO IT

If whale watching is your #1 priority, then the trip to Telegraph Cove is well worth it. I used to work for Stubbs Island Charters (the company based there) and their trips are excellent. The location is your best bet for seeing orca and humpbacks in a single trip in B.C. (never guaranteed obviously!), and you won’t be on the water with a million other tour companies. The Riptide bear tours are also excellent if you want to do both while you’re there!

What Pam said. I've done it at least 3 times, and it's well worth it! Stubbs Island is excellent. We have also done a sail boat trip out of Alert Bay which was excellent. Alert Bay is very much a great stop. The museum is life altering.

When you head back to Vic, consider driving through lake cowichan to Renfrew, and drive that coast line. Stop at mystic beach, it's beautiful.

I’m going to Telegraph in 2 days - I spent every summer here as a kid. While we never went out on a whale watching boat - I’ve seen tons of whales and dolphins out fishing around there on our boat.
While you’re not guaranteed to see whales, it is very likely that you will.
It’s about 5 hours from Nanaimo, perhaps plan to spend the night. When do you plan on going?

That is a serious amount of group to cover... all worth it though. I would drive the Inland Highway to Telegraphy Cove. Then come back and stay the night in Port McNeil or Campbell River. The next day, you can go to Elk Falls Provincial Park, take the short hike to the Suspension Bridge, then drive the Old Island Highway South till the turn off to Port Alberni to take you to Tofino. Definitely stop in Parksville for ice cream or lunch and walk along the beautiful beach. I've taken the Stubbs Whale Watching Tour twice. First time we saw more than 40 orcas, second time we saw only 3 orcas. Both times were equally amazing and the people I brought said it was one of the best experiences of their life.

We were there a couple of week ago and did a tour, but it was unusually windy and we didn't see much. The scenery was beautiful though regardless!

It worked

Awesome!

I rarely comment on these threads but this peaked my interest since I absoultely loved our trip last year!!!
We did telegraph cove via our own kayak tour last aug....highly recommend doing a tour that way and camping. We took a two to 3 days to drive up from nanaimo ans stopped in Coombs for the goats on the roof and stayed at around Comox or Goose spit, Qualicum beach area. Next day we did a easy hike to the Elk Falls in the Strathcona provincial park. Another highlight for us to break up ur drive I'd recommend the logging road to little Huson caves on hwy 11 @the Zeballos exit N of Woss or even if u don't mind driving the upCana caves. Def bring bug spray if u choose to go to this.
After the caves we stayed in port McNeil and then launched out of telegraph cove the next day.
Tofino and Victoria could be separate trips so like others are saying. Might be worth just focusing on this north island route instead. It was amazing and I really want to go back. Hope u have a great time tooo whatever you decide to do.